Card found - Seven of Hearts

I did a short talk at Foyle's bookshop Gallery last night as part of Illustration Rules!, an AOI, Varoom sponsored event. It was a good evening. Helen Thomas from AOI, who organised the evening, found a card on her way home, right outside Tottenham Court Road station. Darn it. Why didn't I find it? - Especially since it was the seven of hearts, a particularly significant card with a long history of coincidences and story connections attached to it, (but which I don't have time to go into at the moment). It's always nice when, after talking about finding cards on the street, someone finds one.

RULES - Event at Foyles Bookshop

I'm giving a short talk next Thursday at Foyles Bookshop. It's organised by Varoom. Here are the details.

Thursday 11 April, 6.30pm

The Foyles Gallery, Third Floor, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EB

Illustration Rules?! As illustration becomes ever more varied and diverse in its output and working methods, does it follow any given ‘rules’ or launch itself off down the yellow brick road? To launch Varoom issue 21: Rules, at Foyle’s Bookshop in London, Graham Rawle, Viviane Schwarz and Phoebe Halstead will discuss illustration work that is exploring new areas and challenging rules. Will illustrators become the future guides of our blended, augmented-reality environments? The debate is chaired by Varoom editor, John O’Reilly.

Card Find by Mags Swift after my lecture

I've been meaning to put this on my blog for ages. This is the 8 of hearts found in Brighton by Mags Swift, a student on our MA course, the day after I gave my talk about The Card and card collecting. Those are her daughters crouching in wonder at the find. I love the beam of light shining on it.

What Are They Like? exhibition

There's an exhibition from the What Are They Like? project initiated by House of Illustration at Swiss Cottage Central Library, 88 Avenue Road London SW3 3HA. (I did a picture of David Baddiel for an auction at Sotheby's some weeks ago - see earlier post). The PV is tonight, but I'm too busy trying to finish the first draft of my new book to go. The exhibition continues until 25th May.

Varoom

In the latest issue of Varoom (issue 21) there's mention of Diary of an Amateur Photographer, which John O'Reilly says 'feels thoroughly contemporary' and 'uncannily of the moment'. - And he's a man who knows.

The Card - Research News

Here I am exploring multimodal literature in Brighton's latest edition of CRD's Research News. Click to enlarge.

Yet another card found by me...

I found this card yesterday outside KopyKat printers on Rivington Street near my home. It has the number 23 written on the back. This is the third card I've found in a month, which is quite remarkable. I must be looking harder these days. The three most recent cards are all spades. And for those of you who are fascinated to know how my collection is going, I can tell you that in nearly 20 years I have found a total of 38 cards, but because of duplicates I only have 26 different. Half way there, though the chances of duplication increase dramatically as I near my seemingly impossible goal. In 38 cards there have only been two from the clubs suit.

Card found by ME. Again.

Good heavens.  I have found two cards this year - and January is not yet over. I normally go for years without finding any. I spotted this soggy one yesterday across the road from the University of Brighton on Grand Parade. How exciting it was to see it lying there.

Card found by Camberwell student

A card found yesterday by Camberwell student Chloe Greenfield. Great picture. The Queen of hearts is significantly the first card Riley finds in the book, the one the sets him off on his mission. She says this.
"You gave a talk to us last year at Camberwell where you spoke about your book The Card amongst many other things, and since then i've been anticipating the moment where a queen of hearts should fall into my path (not sure why queen of hearts, just my favourite). Today, as I was waiting at my bus stop in dulwich with a grim early-morning frown , I saw her staring up at my through the drizzle and cigarette butts. It was a special moment and my heart soared . I didn't pick her up as it's a particularly dull bus-stop so i thought someone else would appreciate her too."
Knowing she left it on the road makes me want to go over to Dulwich to see if it's still there, but I have a train to catch.

Card found - Euston BY ME!

Though other people seem to be finding playing cards all over the place (see below), it's been nearly two years since I found a card on the street. The last time was 27 May 2011. I spotted this one yesterday on my mum's 85th birthday. It was lying in the gutter just as she was getting out of my brother's car on a side street near Euston Station. The card is a miniature so is quite hard to spot, as you can see from the picture. I was excited beyond all reason.

Australian cards found in Edinburgh

This great photo was sent to me by Mark Blackadder (for whom I signed a copy of The Card some months ago). He spotted these Australian flag playing cards amongst the trash spilling out of a bin bag at the top of his street in Edinburgh. My personal rule is that if I find a number of cards, I am allowed to pick up only one of them. I'd probably have gone for the five of clubs.

Card found - Brighton

This card was found by actress, singer and synaesthetic artist Philippa Stanton (www.philippastanton.com) the day after she started reading The Card. The jack of diamonds was lying on the Ditchling Road in Brighton. She did not pick it up (Aach! Dutty!), but photographed it and sent the picture to me - for which I am most grateful.

Found card - Teesside

Here's another card, this time found by Teesside Graphic Design student Arron Wilson in the Mall. Is the Mall a street or a shopping centre? I don't know. The card is a miniature so would have been harder to spot, but Teesside students have a well-trained eye for this sort of thing. If YOU find a card, do let me know.

Another card found - Batley

Here's another card found - this one by Kathryn Richardson, a student at Batley School of Art & Design, where I recently gave a talk about, and signed copies of, The Card. Kathryn told me that having spotted the card, she made her 9-year-old son stand over it while she went to fetch her phone to take this picture. The card turned out to be the king of diamonds.

Cards found - not by me

I gave a talk at the Galley Club a couple of weeks ago. When I talk about my book, The Card, and card collecting, I like to tell the audience that on the way home one of them will find a playing card on the street. And of course, somebody usually does. Card no.1 was found by Neringa Pangonyte (who has just done an MA in Publishing at Kingston University) the day after she finished reading the book. The jack of clubs was lying face down on her walk home from the bus stop. Card no. 2 (also the jack of clubs, but a different design) was found by Shannon Ashley following a lecture I did at LCC last week as part of an forum organised by University College, Falmouth. Shannon's card, which was either photographed in a mirror or printed in reverse, was found on the street outside a pub the next day. Thanks to both of you for sending pictures. Coincidence? No such thing.
The cards are out there, but you have to keep your eyes and your mind open. Let me know if you find one.

Teesside University Interview

Here's a link to a short interview I did following a talk I did at Teesside University recently. Where? Here. You'll need to scroll down a bit to find it.

What Are They Like?

Here's a picture I've just done for a charity auction at Sotheby's. It's for House of Illustration's project 'What Are They Like?' where illustrators are asked to create a portrait of a celebrity (mine was David Baddiel) based on their answers to eight questions - favourite food, book, weather etc. (David Baddiel hates melons - who knew?) Not sure when the auction is. Find out more at House of Illustration.

Byte the Book Event

I'm doing a Byte the Book thing at The Ivy Club tonight. Sorry for the last-minute posting again. Here are the details.

Time: 6:30 - 9:30pm

Date: Monday 19th November October 2012
Location: The Club at the Ivy, 9 West Street, WC2N 9NE

The Panel: our panel will consider the question 'What Will Books Look Like in the Future?'. We’ve got some great people to help us answer this question: Eric Huang (Director, New Business & IP Acquisitions at Penguin Books), Graham Rawle (author/illustrator of Lost Consonants and various novels including The Card), Chris Harris (Head of Mobile at Other Media, and developer of Harper Collins’ Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Universe app and Collins World Atlas app) and Tom Turcan (Launch COO of Pottermore).

In addition to our discussion, there will be time to network before and after the panel speaks. Attendees come from all across the industry and include authors, agents, publishers, illustrators and developers. The focus of the event is to help people get to know each other, share ideas, and find ways of working together in a relaxed environment.

Booking details here.

The Galley Club

I'm giving a talk tonight at The Galley Club at The George opposite the Law Courts on Fleet Street. Here are the details.
Illustrator/designer Graham Rawle will talk about 'Writing with Scissors' at the Galley Club on Thursday 15 November at The George, Strand, London WC2, at 6.30pm. Non-members can attend by paying £5 (includes wine and buffet) on the night and notifying thegalleyclub@gmail.com in advance.

Symposium. Burton Art Gallery and Museum, Bideford.

On Monday 12th of November (sorry for the short notice; I should think of posting these things earlier) I will be taking part in a symposium about artists and writers.
Symposium. Artists and Writers: A Symbiotic Relationship
A unique opportunity to discuss artists and writers comes to North Devon.
Inspired by the exhibition of works by printmaker and illustrator Leonard Baskin, on loan from Heritage Collections Department at the University of Exeter to the Burton, 29th September – 12th November; this symposium brings together academics, writers, artists, researchers and those with an interest and love of illustrated writings to debate and discuss the unique relationship formed between artists and writers.
Do come along if you happen to be in North Devon on Monday. Find out more about it here.

Card found Middlesbrough - but not by me

I gave a lecture at Teesside University recently. I've noticed that after hearing me talk about The Card and the notion of finding cards on the street, someone in the audience often finds a playing card on the way home. The unconscious becomes attuned to the possibility and cards magically appear. This one was found by Bethany Poole, a graphics student, on her front doorstep.

The Card - Paperback cover

The paperback version of The Card will be published in... er... March? May? next year. I can't quite remember when. I have designed a new cover for it and this is it. The hardback is still available and you should order some extra copies now to avoid the Christmas rush. 

Confessions of a Catastrophist

I've just done a book jacket for my very good friend Carlo Gébler's excellent new book Confessions of a Catastrophist, in which he writes about being a writer. I think every writer should read it.

Reconsidering Amateur Photography

I'm giving a talk at a conference for Either/And at the National Media Museum on Friday 21st Sept at the University of Brighton with Roger Tooth, Stephen Bull, Karen Cross  Annabella Pollen and Juliet Baillie. Find out more about it here.

Here's my abstract for the talk.

Studio Studies: Photographic ‘artistry’ in 1950s men’s magazines 

Laws on pornography in the 1950s ruled that material appealing to prurient interest in sex that did not have serious artistic value could be banned as obscene. In an attempt to circumvent these rules, certain men’s magazines began to take their lead from the high art that seemed to elude the ban, dubbing themselves as guides for the amateur art photographer and adopting titles like ‘Line and Form’ and ‘Studio Studies’ to suggest artistic integrity rather than salacious titillation. The new publications ‘explored the curves of the female form to demonstrate the artistry of lighting’. Their tawdry ‘nude studies’ were now captioned with technical data - f11 at 125th of a second - to substantiate their serious intent. As the loophole in the law stretched, censors were forced to ask  ‘Is this Art?’ 

Meanwhile, the enthusiastic amateur photographer now had access to equipment that would allow him to process films in the privacy of his own home. No longer having to worry what the local chemist (who normally developed the amateur’s photographs) might think of their choice of subject, men could shut themselves away in a darkened cupboard under the stairs to print their own ‘artistic interpretations of the female form’. 

In his presentation, Graham Rawle will talk about his book, Diary of An Amateur Photographer and its protagonist – an aspiring glamour photographer caught in this seamy but colourful ‘grey’ area between 1950s art and pornography.

Byte the Book - Review

Lovely review of The Card from Justine Solomons at Byte the Book. See it here.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

On Monday August 20 I'll be giving a talk about The Card (and card collecting in general) at The Edinburgh International Book Festival. For this event I'll be teamed with Elizabeth Reeder, author of the novel, Ramshackle. (I've just started reading it - it's very good). Here's a link to give details of the venue, times and ticket prices. Do come along; it would be so nice to see you.

The Card - Kensington & Chelsea Review

There's an even bigger picture of my stupid face, a short twitter interview about The Card and lovely review from Danny Arter in the new Kensington & Chelsea Review. See it here. You'll need to scroll down to page 19, but you can read other interesting things on the way (or perhaps instead), like an interview with Peter Blake.

THE CARD review - Guardian

Lovely review in Saturday's Guardian from the funny and clever Alexander Masters. Read it here.

THE CARD review - The Independent

Here's a good (and generally positive) review by Leyla Sanai in The Independent on Wednesday. Click to enlarge or read it online here. There's also a Guardian book podcast here where people are talking about 'fiction that pushes the limits of design' here. There are some illustration of the various interesting books by other people. My section, during which I read out loud very, very badly (why am I unable to do this?) is in the last third. You might be better off listening to the other people, not me.

Lie still, I'm a doctor.

Yesterday I received my Honorary Doctorate from Norwich University College of the Arts. It's a great University, one I've always been particularly fond of. It was a lovely day, everyone was terribly kind to me and I even remembered most of my speech. I was dressed in my doctoral robes, which were fuchsia pink and purple - the kind of colours that might have been chosen by Barbie. And as Margaret (Mrs Rawle) pointed out, the velvet tudor hat and the black framed spectacles were never designed to be worn together (except by Eric Morecambe). I looked, perhaps fittingly, like an idiot. In due course I will supply pictorial evidence of this. But at least now it's official. The doctor will see you shortly.

THE CARD Review - Scotsman

Very nice review by Lee Randall in the Scotsman last Saturday. Please excuse the awful photograph, which must have been taken several years ago. I never sit cross-legged on the kitchen counter; the photographer made me do it. Anyway here it is.

THE CARD Review - Manchester Evening News

Bubble gum card collector Riley Richardson has been assigned a coded mission by MI5 to protect the life of Princess Diana. Or so it seems. 

The Queen of Hearts playing card, dropped in a deserted alleyway by a mysterious grey-haired man, is Riley's starting point. More cards, and thus more clues, appear. But has Riley got what it takes to decipher the cards correctly?
And will he be able to solve the mystery of the illusive card 19, which has haunted him for 30 years? The answer, as they say, is in the cards.
The Card by Graham Rawle is engaging, thought-provoking, and at times laugh out loud funny. The use of typographical features to highlight parts of the text and Rawle's illustrations of the cards is also visually striking. This story about ephemera is in no way short-lived.
Review by Liz Ellis

THE CARD Review - Time Out (London)

Click to enlarge.

THE CARD review - Metro

5x15 Author Event - Shoreditch House

On Wednesday (June 20th) I'm giving a 15 minute talk about The Card as part of the 5x15 event at Shoreditch House where various speakers will be telling non-fiction stories. The other four (of the 5) are Maggi Hambling, Claudia Hammond, Elaine Proctor and Keith Khan-Harris. Here are the details.




5x15 AUTHOR EVENT
Shoreditch House, The Biscuit Tin Bar  - Wednesday 20th June 6.30pm 
We have a one-off invitation for our most loyal supporters! On Wednesday June 20th we're putting on a very special event at Shoreditch House, one of our favourite venues in London. The evening features a stellar line-up including iconic British artist Maggi Hambling, award-winning broadcaster and writer Claudia Hammond, and Graham Rawle, the man who brought us the hugely popular 'Lost Consonants'. In keeping with the setting, we've come over all East London and will be hanging out in The Biscuit Tin, one of Shoreditch House's uber-cool bars, soaking up the atmosphere while listening to our five stimulating speakers.
Featuring:
Maggi Hambling - on a lifetime in art and her latest exhibition
Claudia Hammond - experiments with time and perception
South African filmmaker and writer Elaine Proctor - shares the stories behind her work
Keith Kahn-Harris - on big fish in small ponds
Graham Rawle - lays his new novel, The Card, on the table

Tickets for this event are FREE, and restricted to Season Ticket holders and friends of 5x15. To secure tickets for you and a friend, please email info@5x15stories.com. We will allocate tickets on a first come, first serve basis and anticipate high demand, so don't delay!

Shoreditch House
Ebor Street
London E1 6AW

• • • • •

The Card - Review in The Times

The Card - Now available!

The Card is officially published on Friday June 1st, but it's available now on Amazon at half price. Yes, half price. You should order several copies immediately.  Go to Amazon now.
I have added some new pages to my website where you can read more about it, see the cards artwork as well as finished pages from the book. Have a look.

Woman's World review - Hyperallergic

Here's a well-written and insightful review/essay on Woman's World, one of the best I think, written by Michael Leong after a talk I gave recently in Nottingham and published on Hyperallergic. See it here.

My Nottingham talk

There's a nice piece written by James Walker in Left Lion magazine about a talk I did recently at the Antenna Media Centre in Nottingham. One or two of the details are not quite accurate (don't go trying to order a copy of Woman's Own) but that doesn't matter. He makes some interesting points. Have a look.

Left or right?

Those of you who were unable to attend my little talk for the MA Design Writing Criticism course at London College of Communication a few weeks ago may still be anxious to know whether I parted my hair on the left or on the right. This, and other important questions are answered in this sharply observed and well-written piece by Sarah Snaith who was there (and clearly paying attention) so that she might record these details for your benefit on their blog here.

Art Workers Guild Talk

I'm giving a talk at the Art Workers Guild this Thursday (April 26). It's a members and guests kind of arrangement, so not open to the public. It's an incredible place and I'm flattered to be invited.